College is wonderful, but every now and then, you intensely crave certain meals from home. Being from Louisiana, food is very important because it is an essential part of the culture. Although not all of these meals are a part of Louisiana cuisine, they are still some of my all-time favorites!
1. Gumbo
This is a meal eaten during all four seasons of the year. Hands down, I think my Nana's gumbo is the best. She puts crabs, smoked sausage, andouille sausage, and fresh shrimp. I will not say what gumbo mix she uses because I would get in trouble. The rest of the ingredients are also a secret, sorry.2. Chicken pot-pie
This is absolutely one of favorite meals that my mother makes. It's fairly simple: Pillsbury pie crust, mixed veggies (frozen), cream of mushroom soup, cut-up grilled chicken, and you can't forget Tony Chachere's!
3. Meat pies
I'm sadly addicted to these. One bite, and you're in love. If you like seasoned ground beef and pie crust, you'll definitely love meat pies. There's a local gas station by my house that sells them, and I always buy two because one just isn't enough. By the way, crawfish pies are delicious too.
4. Manchu chicken
These aren't ordinary fried chicken wings. These are wings that were sent from heaven. They're spicy, fresh, and seasoned to perfection. Just about every party or family reunion that I've been to in New Orleans, there was Manchu chicken. If you're looking to buy these chicken wings, there are several Manchu Chinese food stores around the New Orleans area. The best part about the wings is that they are super cheap for big pans, so eat up!
5. Crawfish étoufféeWhether you prefer steamed rice or angel hair pasta, this will taste amazing. Whenever you decide on which crawfish tails to use, make sure they're from Louisiana because those are the best. Also, make sure to always add green onion! Another alternative brand to buy is Bernard's Crawfish Tails.
6. Red Beans and Rice
Eating red beans on Mondays is a New Orleans tradition. If you're preparing red beans from scratch using real red kidney beans, you should probably start preparing a day in advance, for it takes about eight hours for the beans to soak. A quick, instant alternative, however, is using Blue Runner red beans (the can), which can be found at your local grocery store. The best part about Blue Runner is that you can add whatever meat, seasoning, and other ingredients to the beans. Throw in some ham hocks, sausage, red onion, etc and have a ball!
7. Pot roast with potatoes and carrots
This is a definite favorite in my household. My family and I typically have this meal on a Sunday. My mom would wake up early on Sunday morning, prepare the roast and put it in the oven for several hours. Then, we would come home from Mass and enjoy the savory meal. I've never eaten a dry roast, for it's always juicy, tender and well-done. Sorry, no raw meat is eaten in my family!
8. Portobello mushroom chicken
I love this meal because it's so easy to make. I like to season my own chicken breasts because I have certain spices that I like to add, including lemon pepper and a dash of hot sauce. I get the mushrooms from my local grocery store. I cut them up into pieces and grill them along with the chicken breasts. I prefer to use either swiss cheese or provolone to melt onto the chicken.